Saturday, May 28, 2011

Sally Smith Says, "You Can't Fall Apart Over Things Like This."

Last night I watch a woman, Sally Smith, standing in the rubble of her mother's home in Joplin. She turns to Anderson Cooper and says, "You can't fall apart over things like this."

I burst into tears. Can you imagine your whole life crumbling around you and saying that? What does she know that I don't? Sally Smith is firm in her resolve, smiling. She picks up the pieces of dolls, trying to identify fragments. Anderson asks her where you even start to build your life again after a tornado like this.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, but it will work out. It will."

Anderson notices her t-shirt, and she says, "Life is good. God does not give us anything we can't handle. I know His hand is in it; I've seen too many things. We'll be fine. Saying good-bye to things is hard. . .

Anderson says, "You're about the most optimistic person I've met in a long time."

That's when she says, "You cannot fall apart over things like this."

Sally Smith has the faith, strength, and courage of a woman who lives with flair. I just love her. Will I ever be the kind of woman who can look in the face of disaster and proclaim the kind of truth that she can?

___________________
Journal: When I'm complaining about any disappointment today, I'm going to remember Sally Smith in the rubble. Where can you say, "You cannot fall apart over things like this"?

4 comments:

Wow! What a marvelous woman of faith and yes, she is living with flair and faith in spite of her circumstances. I want that kind of Corrie Ten Boom faith that Sally has! I thought long and hard yesterday as I was driving home. What if my house was gone when I turned the corner? What if the storms had taken everything I had? When tragedy strikes a community as it has Joplin, we cannot help but consider how we would react if it were our home. May God give us the kind of faith and strength to stand no matter what occurs in our life. This was a wonderful and touching post Heather. God's blessings dear friend!

Wow. I got upset the day my dog busted up one of the doors to my kitchen cabinets...to have that faith-filled poise in the midst of all that loss? I need to write out the same journal entry for myself, Heather.

This was a big topic at my workplace this week. For me, I think the difference between Joplin and most other places where damage has been more confined is this: if I were to come up from my basement and find my house gone, but I could see something familiar and intact whatever distance away, I'd be disheartened but hopeful. If I were to come up from my basement to find my house gone and nothing in site but debris (like those in Joplin), I think the despair would be overwhelming...simply because I could not pin hope on "something" I could see. Not a very strong statement of faith, is it?

Thank you for sharing with us about Sally Smith today, Heather. I, for one, need it as a reminder that there are those who can and do walk the talk no matter the circumstance. What a wonderful role model!

I've been through some trying times in my life and people will say, "I don't think I could handle that." or "I don't know what I would do if..." But really, all you can do is put one foot in front of the other. Because what else is there to be done?You can liken it to people who say that to a parent. "I don't know how you handle kids and...." The answer is that you just do.

About Me

In my writing classes, we talk about writing with flair, but lately I've been interested in what it means to live with flair. Can I find a way to make every day impressive and meaningful? Just as a sentence turns into something beautiful with the right verb and punctuation, can I learn to revise my day and punctuate it with flair?

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More about me. . .

I'm a wife and mother of two who teaches college writing. I love writing novels, encouraging teachers, reflecting on spiritual principles in everyday life, drinking tea out of my little blue teapot, petting my cats, exercising, lighting candles, reading grammar books, watching movies and any television show with singing and dancing in it, entertaining, eating leftover Chinese food, and blogging. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.